More Images

Deputies bust largest meth lab in Polk County history

Materials commonly used in a "shake-and-bake" meth lab operation were found at a residence on Scoggins Road Thursday. Deputies found an active operation inside the home and remnants of 15 other labs on the property.

Published: Friday, January 10, 2014 at 12:03 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 10, 2014 at 12:03 p.m.

Two Polk County men were arrested Thursday after a raid of a home at 315 Scoggins Road uncovered one of the largest methamphetamine lab operations in Polk County’s history.

During an investigation, narcotics officers with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and agents of the State Bureau of Investigation discovered a working lab inside the residence on Thursday. They also spotted about 15 old one-pot labs inside and outside of the home, according to a news release issued Friday.

Detectives said it was the largest meth lab operation that had been found in the county in recent years.

Deputies found a meth lab dumpsite on John Weaver Road in the Green Creek community on New Year’s Day, sparking an investigation and a call to residents to report any suspicious activity in the area. The dumpsite held materials and chemicals associated with “one-pot” or “shake-and-bake” productions of the illegal, manmade drug methamphetamine, according to a Jan. 2 news release from the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies contacted a narcotics officer, and a hydrogren chloride gas generator and a two-liter bottle used to cook the drug were found. Tips from the investigation led detectives to Scoggins Road.

Billy Lawrence Carr, 38, was arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine; possessing or distributing a meth precursor; maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances; possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver meth; and possessing drug paraphernalia.

Carr is being held at the Polk County Jail in lieu of $30,000 secured bond.

Harold Dean Bailey, 50, was charged with manufacturing meth, possessing or distributing a meth precursor, and giving fictitious information to an officer. Bailey is being held at the jail in lieu of $25,000 secured bond.

Green Creek Fire Department assisted at the home with the potentially highly combustible lab’s dismantlement and the extensive decontamination process required at the site.

“This is a great example of law enforcement agencies working together. I appreciate all the agencies involved including the Green Creek Fire Department for their time and help making Polk County a safer place to live,” Sheriff Donald J. Hill said in the release.

SBI agents investigated 561 meth labs in 2013, an increase from 460 labs found in 2012. Of those meth labs, 81 percent used the “one pot” method — portable labs which make small amounts of meth.

Also known as “shake and bake” labs, one-pot meth labs use a small amount of pseudoephedrine, found in cold medicine, to make meth in a plastic soda bottle. The labs are easy to conceal and move, making them more challenging for law enforcement to find than traditional meth labs that are larger and less mobile, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Justice Thursday.

SBI agents and other law enforcement officers in North Carolina have access to information about pseudoephedrine purchases through the National Precursor Log Exchange, helping them to identify likely meth cooks and find more labs. More than 400 investigators in North Carolina are now using the database to aid their investigations.

<p>Two Polk County men were arrested Thursday after a raid of a home at 315 Scoggins Road uncovered one of the largest methamphetamine lab operations in Polk County's history.</p><p>During an investigation, narcotics officers with the Polk County Sheriff's Office and agents of the State Bureau of Investigation discovered a working lab inside the residence on Thursday. They also spotted about 15 old one-pot labs inside and outside of the home, according to a news release issued Friday.</p><p>Detectives said it was the largest meth lab operation that had been found in the county in recent years.</p><p>Deputies found a meth lab dumpsite on John Weaver Road in the Green Creek community on New Year's Day, sparking an investigation and a call to residents to report any suspicious activity in the area. The dumpsite held materials and chemicals associated with “one-pot” or “shake-and-bake” productions of the illegal, manmade drug methamphetamine, according to a Jan. 2 news release from the Sheriff's Office.</p><p>Deputies contacted a narcotics officer, and a hydrogren chloride gas generator and a two-liter bottle used to cook the drug were found. Tips from the investigation led detectives to Scoggins Road.</p><p>Billy Lawrence Carr, 38, was arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine; possessing or distributing a meth precursor; maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances; possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver meth; and possessing drug paraphernalia.</p><p>Carr is being held at the Polk County Jail in lieu of $30,000 secured bond.</p><p>Harold Dean Bailey, 50, was charged with manufacturing meth, possessing or distributing a meth precursor, and giving fictitious information to an officer. Bailey is being held at the jail in lieu of $25,000 secured bond.</p><p>Green Creek Fire Department assisted at the home with the potentially highly combustible lab's dismantlement and the extensive decontamination process required at the site.</p><p>“This is a great example of law enforcement agencies working together. I appreciate all the agencies involved including the Green Creek Fire Department for their time and help making Polk County a safer place to live,” Sheriff Donald J. Hill said in the release.</p><p>SBI agents investigated 561 meth labs in 2013, an increase from 460 labs found in 2012. Of those meth labs, 81 percent used the “one pot” method — portable labs which make small amounts of meth.</p><p>Also known as “shake and bake” labs, one-pot meth labs use a small amount of pseudoephedrine, found in cold medicine, to make meth in a plastic soda bottle. The labs are easy to conceal and move, making them more challenging for law enforcement to find than traditional meth labs that are larger and less mobile, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Justice Thursday.</p><p>SBI agents and other law enforcement officers in North Carolina have access to information about pseudoephedrine purchases through the National Precursor Log Exchange, helping them to identify likely meth cooks and find more labs. More than 400 investigators in North Carolina are now using the database to aid their investigations. </p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>